


Playing By the Rules

by The_Penny_Tails



Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 09:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Penny_Tails/pseuds/The_Penny_Tails
Summary: Years ago, before the Gap, before things became complicated, two extremely stubborn Titans made a rule. It was needed, required to keep the two in check, to make sure they did their jobs correctly without...distraction.Saladin hasn't been able to enforce it, touseit, for a very long time. That is, until Shaxx accidentally gives him the perfect opportunity.





	Playing By the Rules

_They have a rule._

Zavala didn't quite notice at first.

The hours of the morning had slipped by without much hassle, the minutes ticking through into the afternoon in a rather stress free manner. Very few Titans had been to discuss concerns with him, and even fewer Warlocks and Hunters had popped down to the Hall to converse with their respective mentors. The day was quiet, lacking any immediate action or a need for a call to attention.

It made for a nice change of pace - the calm before the storm, perhaps - and Zavala had been allowing himself to relax, ignoring the invading thoughts of Vex, Fallen, and Gods.

It was only inevitable, only a matter of time before something - _someone_ , he corrected - managed to destroy the pleasant atmosphere of peace that had been created.

Attention falling on the small pile of files in front of him, scattered in an order only he could determine, Zavala grabbed the top report and quickly began scanning its summary. Pursing his lips a touch, his head nodded in appreciation. It was a simple thing, one that wouldn't need his immediate input to implement, and so he placed it back down.

Cayde was to his right, as usual, focused on talking to one of his Hunters over the comms, whilst Ikora seemed to be absorbed in something Zavala honestly didn't want to understand.

He heard rather than saw Shaxx enter the area - the Titan's boots were heavy on the ground, creating loud, familiar stomps as he strode towards the data point for armour blueprints - but Zavala paid him no mind. It wasn't unusual for Shaxx to come into the Hall looking for documents or items, and the short trips didn't really require the addition of small talk.

Letting out a tiny sigh, Zavala reached down for the next report, only to halt when he realised that all sound had suddenly stopped. Listening out for Cayde's voice, Zavala glanced up at the Exo with a frown when he realised Cayde had ceased talking mid-sentence. Finding Cayde's attention fixed firmly on something across the room, Zavala let his gaze follow the Hunter's line of sight to determine what had seemed to enrapture him.

Zavala stared dumbly in what was probably an undignified manner, before his eyes widened when his mind finally recognised what he was looking at.

_They have a **rule**._

Iron Banner was currently in full force; had been for the past two days. That meant Saladin was in the Tower, almost certainly at his customary post, heeding the events and giving out rewards with Shaxx's less than enthusiastic approval.

Knowing that to be fact, Zavala couldn't help but keep his eyes glued to the large Titan as Shaxx idly went about accessing the data screen. He felt his frown deepen as confusion washed over him.

Shaxx wasn't wearing his helmet.

In fact, the garish hunk of orange and white was nowhere to be seen, and a rapid glance towards Shaxx's desk confirmed that it was not there either. So, had Shaxx simply forgotten to wear it? Highly unlikely. Maybe he'd misplaced it somewhere, instead? Of course, there was always the possibility that he'd _purposefully_ left the helmet off, but with Saladin being present in the Tower, that was _not_ an option Zavala could bring himself to entertain.

After a minute, Shaxx moved from the screen, apparently satisfied with whatever he'd needed it for, and instantly Zavala's bewilderment vanished. There was his answer: His friend looked utterly _exhausted_. His eyes were distant and unfocused, his skin pale, his features set in perpetual scowl. As he made his way down and towards the table, his steps seemed slow and uncalculated, as though just moving his legs was a chore. Making his way passed Cayde, Shaxx came up beside Zavala and proceeded to lean against the solid frame of the table with a sigh.

Crossing his arms, Shaxx closed his eyes momentarily. Reopening them after his shoulders slumped, he readjusted his gaze until he was watching Zavala. He didn't even bother to offer a smile, which was unheard of when greeting Zavala without the barrier of a helmet or the threat of a battle. The reason for the emotionless acknowledgement was clear, and Zavala tensed slightly.

_He doesn't know_.

"I don't have the full reports yet, but there was an incident in Exodus Blue last night," Shaxx explained, his voice even despite his expression lowering in scorn.

Zavala had to fight to keep his features from contorting into an ugly grimace. 'Incidents', in this case, meant one or more Guardians had been delving into criminal actions. It was rare, Guardians breaking the law, but it was not an impossibility. This wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. However much they tried, some Guardians just couldn't obey the laws that had been put in place for everyone's protection.

At least that helped to clear up the reason for his friend's sleep deprivation, because having the incident occur within the Crucible meant all responsibility of witness reports fell on Shaxx.

"How many?" he asked, unable to keep the sympathy from seeping into his tone. Incidents were not easy to deal with. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the endless reports he'd need to read over, nor was he happy that the Vanguard would require a suitable punishment for the perpetrators. The fact that Shaxx was standing before him, barely able to stay awake, was proof enough that the man had stayed up most of the night dealing with the mess.

Shaxx blew out another sigh. Due to their proximity, the cold air breezed lightly over Zavala's cheeks, cooling them. Zavala pulled in a deep breath in an attempt to keep his focus. This conversation was what required attention right now, not Shaxx's lack of headgear. His desire to speak up about it was not significant.

Shaxx dropped his gaze to the floor. "Three."

Zavala nodded. "Right. We'll deal with it later."

The comment was abrupt, sharp, and the words were nowhere near the ones he'd actually wanted to say. Despite this, he didn't care. With his thoughts too scrambled in indecision - over what, he didn't know - Zavala couldn't bring himself to explain his thought process when Shaxx looked at him with confusion written clearly across his face.

Taking another deep breath, exhaling it slowly, Zavala took a moment to glance at the other people surrounding the table. Ikora had stopped her work to spare an interested look. Catching her gaze, he could see the curiosity swirling through every fibre of her being. She wanted answers, but was patient enough to allow them to come naturally. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, before moving her attention back to Shaxx.

Eyes darting to Cayde, Zavala felt a sudden sense of panic fill him when he saw the Exo's mouth twitch open. The Hunter's brow plate was lowered, indicating some form of befuddlement, and his optics were vibrant, glowing almost too bright. Zavala slammed his hand down on the table. The bang was loud, demanding attention, and it echoed for a second in the surrounding area. Ignoring the jolt from the startled Titan by his side, Zavala narrowed his eyes when the move had the desired effect. Cayde paused, mouth open, and glanced at him briefly. When their eyes were locked, Zavala very deliberately shook his head.

Closing his mouth, Cayde's optics seemed to darken somewhat, but he made no move to argue against Zavala's silent order.

"What's wrong?"

The gruff, tired voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Zavala immediately turned back to Shaxx. His friend was glancing between the two male Vanguard leaders with total bewilderment flashing in his unfocused eyes. He seemed to be attempting to understand the exchange that had just taken place. Zavala had to squash down the smile that threatened to bloom. Shaxx appeared utterly lost and, coupled with the obvious tiredness the man was showing, it made for a pretty amusing picture. It wasn't often Zavala saw the man fail to work out the inner workings of a conversation he was a part of.

Shrugging uncharacteristically, Zavala said, "It's nothing." He spoke with a nonchalance he didn't really feel; hopefully Shaxx's current state would prevent him from seeing through the blatant lie.

Not daring to move an inch, Zavala waited with a growing impatience as Shaxx tilted his head, contemplating him. After what felt like an eternity, the larger Titan shivered slightly, shaking his head as if attempting to clear his mind, before his gaze yet again found the floor. Shoulders relaxing in sheer relief, Zavala licked his suddenly dry lips as a strange, empty feeling coursed through him.

He should _not_ be keeping this quiet. He should have spoken up about Shaxx's lack of attire the second he'd spotted it, instead of sealing his mouth shut. Why was he not telling the truth? Why was he holding onto the information as though it were some horrible secret? Gritting his teeth together, Zavala tried and failed to stop the soft scoff that scratched its way out his throat.

This sudden, disgusting feeling of raw ice seeping through him was not an unknown thing. The tingling down his spine, however subtle, had been felt before. He knew exactly what it was.

Guilt.

Yet, despite knowledge of this, he wasn't going to tell Shaxx that he'd forgotten a very important part of his armour. He wasn't going to release any hints, no warnings that everyone in the room - everyone in the _Tower_ , he reminded himself - could see his friend's face.

Not that it was a _problem_ , per se. In fact, people being able to see Shaxx's physical features was the opposite, considering not many Guardians actually knew what the man looked like under his normal dress code. Obviously, Zavala was one of the few who had the privilege of seeing his friend's face from time to time, and Ikora had been privy to it on occasion, but was that really enough? Perhaps this was a good thing.

Cayde and most of the other residents in the Tower would never recognise the Crucible handler out of his normal, metal cocoon. Honestly, Zavala had to admit that the only reason the Hunter Vanguard had probably realised who was in the Hall with them was due to the fact that Shaxx still had the rest of his armour present. Without that small clue, Cayde wouldn't have given the man a second look upon his initial entering of the room.

Right now, though, not a single person in the Hall could take their eyes off him. If Shaxx knew that he was the current object of everyone's attention, he didn't show it. Zavala was kind of glad that was the case. If Shaxx were more awake, more attentive, he'd have outright called Zavala out on his little white lie earlier.

"Has anybody seen-"

The new voice cut through the silence like a bullet. Although the question was never finished, Zavala knew how it would have ended. The Iron Banner was here, and Shaxx probably hadn't finished his briefings about the day's events for it yet. Turning to the newcomer with apprehension, Zavala silently cursed.

Dark eyes wide in shock, the man's form was still as a rock, his mouth parted as though the ability to form the final words of his question had been ripped from his grasp.

It was Saladin. And he was staring at Shaxx as though he'd never seen the man before in his life.


End file.
